NEW PAPER MILL

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume LXXI, 23 June 1937, Page 7

NEW PAPER MILL

PLANT AT WHAKATANE OPENING NEXT YEAR It is expected that the plant of Whakatane Paper Mills, Limited, will commence operations in the early part of next year. Already much of the preparatory work on the site has been done and some of the buildings are under construction. Foundations are being prepared for some of the heavier machinery a considerable portion of which is now ert route from England. The first consignment, consisting of about 1000 tons of equipment for the boiler house, from Wolverhampton, is on board the Waimana, due in Auckland on 16th July. This plant is valued at approximately £30,000 (says the ‘•Herald”). A second shipment of machinery, which is being brought by the Rangitata and should arrive on 27th July, includes a cardboard machine and plant for the beater department. This lot weighs about 2000 tons and is valued at £IOO.OOO. The transport of this equipment from Auckland to Whakatane will be handled by the Railway Department. It will be necessary, however, to take a large cylinder weighing 26 tons by sea to Tauranga as it is too big to be taken through the tunnels on the Paeroa-Waihi section of the East Coast line. The erection of the boilers will be corirmenced in September, and other equipment will be placed in position as the various buildings become available. Water for the mill is to be drawn from the Whakatane river at a point about four miles from the mill and the pipes for this main are now being delivered on the route. The experts and special crew who are to erect the plant are expected to arrive from Sweden toward the end of August. The hope that the mill would be able to commence operations early next year was expressed by the managing director of Whakatane Paper Mills, Limited, Mr H. A. Horrocks, who said he was well satisfied with the progress ebing made with the buildings. He mentioned that while the plant was designed to make cardboard it was capable if necessary of manufacturing newsprint. In the event of a shortage of newsprint developing in New Zealand his company would be able to ease the position.